Scanning devices are useful in many applications where it is desirable to transfer an image from printed form into electronic form. Scanners capable of reading and converting a page into electronic format have been available for quite some time. Typically, a scanner will electronically read a page and electronically store the information for later presentation and use.
Typically, a scanner will electronically read a page, classify the different types of images on the page and electronically store the information for later presentation and use. The types of classifications of a scanned page typically include text, photographs, drawings, charts, tables, business graphics, equations, handwriting, logos, etc. Alternatively, a user can classify these different parts of a scanned image into regions after the scanner has scanned the page. Some scanners are capable of determining the classifications of particular regions of a scanned page in accordance with predetermined instructions.
Oftentimes, a scanned image includes handwritten comments written directly on the page that is scanned. Conventional scanning techniques and systems scan the entire page and present to a user all of the information in the scanned image that the scanning system deems as relevant. If there is handwriting on the original image, the scanning system might attempt to use an optical character recognition (OCR) program on the handwriting, but this usually results in the handwriting being interpreted as stray markings (i.e., garbage). Alternatively, the handwriting may be saved as an image and presented to the user. In yet another alternative, the handwriting detected in a scanned image may be classified as unusable and eliminated from the scanned image by the processing system.
Unfortunately, this leads to scanned images that are cluttered and leave the user no manner in which to conveniently remove the handwriting from the scanned image. In a worst case, important handwriting may be eliminated altogether from the scanned image by the processing system.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have the ability to control the manner in which handwriting on a scanned image is saved, and have the ability to present the user with options regarding the manner in which the handwriting is presented in the scanned image.